You can check out Game’s free-to-play hub here, where you can already start playing Need For Speed World, Lord of Ultima and Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances. Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield Play4Free will be added soon.

It’s an EA-centric hub at the moment, and it’s not clear if other publishers have signed up to host their games there, but we’ll know more once it happens. Either way, Game isn’t taking the decision lightly.

In a statement sent to MCV, a Game rep said, “Launching our initial free-to-play offering in partnership with EA is a significant step forward for us at GAME. We’re always looking to bring new ways of gaming to the UK’s gaming communities and we are working hard to make sure we can deliver in every digital arena – free-to-play is just the start.”

What do you think about a retailer with a bricks and mortar presence turning to the free-to-play space? Can such a service prove sustainable? Let us know what you think below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/04/25/game-uk-store-launches-countrys-first-free-to-play-platform/feed/3Need for Speed World turns two, celebrate with some free goodieshttp://www.vg247.com/2012/07/24/need-for-speed-world-turns-two-celebrate-with-some-free-goodies/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/24/need-for-speed-world-turns-two-celebrate-with-some-free-goodies/#commentsTue, 24 Jul 2012 14:26:02 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=279258Need for Speed World, the free-to-play MMO from EA, has turned two years old. To celebrate, the firm will give away a free item each day until July 27. To kick things off, today’s goodies include: the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, a Double XP Week, and the Free Cam feature. Players can log in and scoop up more free items including customized license plates, neons, vinyls and even Need for Speed World in-game currency, SpeedBoost, during the week as well. Hit up the game’s website for more information.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/24/need-for-speed-world-turns-two-celebrate-with-some-free-goodies/feed/1EA handing out freebies in its Play4Free games for the next weekhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/06/14/ea-handing-out-freebies-in-its-play4free-games-for-the-next-week/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/14/ea-handing-out-freebies-in-its-play4free-games-for-the-next-week/#commentsThu, 14 Jun 2012 14:02:08 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=269803EA has kicked off a week-long promotion for its free-to-play games, which will see the firm handing out free items to players every day until June 20.

Throughout the rest of the week, other EA Play4Free titles such as Battlefield Heroes, Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances, Lord of Ultima, Need for Speed World and Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes will give players similar gifts.

For the next week, the daily gift will be announced each morning here, so if you play any of the aforementioned titles, you may wish to bookmark the link.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/14/ea-handing-out-freebies-in-its-play4free-games-for-the-next-week/feed/0EA Play4Free range hits 25 million registered playershttp://www.vg247.com/2012/01/12/ea-play4free-range-hits-25-million-registered-players/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/01/12/ea-play4free-range-hits-25-million-registered-players/#commentsThu, 12 Jan 2012 14:33:10 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=226191EA’s Play4Free line-up has hit 25 million registered players, it’s been announced. The series includes Battlefield Play4Free, Dragon Age Legends, Battleforge, Lord of Ultima, Need for Speed World and Battlefield Heroes, the latter two having hit 10 million users each. To celebrate, EA’s offering two promo codes for NFS World and BF Heroes that will include funds for aftermarket items and in-game weapons respectively. They are: EQ9M-TYYT-TXR3-5GU3 for 300 Battlefunds in BF Heroes and EWPD-3KGA-VBVF-9HYS for 750 speedboost in NFS World.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/01/12/ea-play4free-range-hits-25-million-registered-players/feed/0Need for Speed World gets interactive trailerhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/12/15/222462/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/15/222462/#commentsThu, 15 Dec 2011 16:56:11 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=222462EA has released a new trailer for the upcoming free-to-play racing game Need for Speed World, but it’s not your ordinary game trailer. This one is slightly interactive. The video lets you choose between different areas you’d like to see. Check out the cool new video past the break.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/15/222462/feed/5Need for Speed World now global through Aeria Gameshttp://www.vg247.com/2011/12/08/need-for-speed-world-now-global-through-aeria-games/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/08/need-for-speed-world-now-global-through-aeria-games/#commentsThu, 08 Dec 2011 07:03:20 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=220787As of today, Aeria Games has taken on free-to-play racing MMO Need for Speed: World, a product of EA Black Box and EA Shanghai released last year. The game is now available worldwide in English, French, Polish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and along with Battlefield Heroes, is the second EA Play4Free title to be adopted by the network. Hit up the game’s website for more information. Aeria is also behind Heroes of Gaia, Eden Eternal, and Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/08/need-for-speed-world-now-global-through-aeria-games/feed/0EA to release free-to-play titles through Aeriahttp://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/ea-to-release-free-to-play-titles-through-aeria/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/ea-to-release-free-to-play-titles-through-aeria/#commentsThu, 22 Sep 2011 07:47:45 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=204377Free-to-play games are one step closer to world domination. Aeria Games, the publisher of WolfTeam and Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, among others, has just signed a deal with EA to bring the Play4Free titles to a wider audience.

First cab off the rank? Battlefield Heroes, with Need for Speed World following close behind. Sean Decker, Vice President of EA’s Play4Free brand, explains that this is a “natural step” for the companies. “Aeria Games is a frontrunner in the free-to-play games business,” he says. “Our titles will benefit tremendously as they reach the ever-growing global market.”

On one hand, as Games Radar reports, this is great news, particularly for Aeria fans (which number in the millions). On the other, this is the same EA who has been making such a push for all of its games to appear on its Origin service, and only on its Origin service. We’re getting mixed signals.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/ea-to-release-free-to-play-titles-through-aeria/feed/0Need for Speed World gamescom trailer, shiny thingshttp://www.vg247.com/2011/08/19/need-for-speed-world-gamescom-trailer-shiny-things/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/19/need-for-speed-world-gamescom-trailer-shiny-things/#commentsFri, 19 Aug 2011 09:15:51 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=197079A trailer out of gamescom for EA’s free-2-play racer shows off cars that none of us will ever be able to afford to insure, let alone drive.

A Lamborghini Murcielago and Porsche 911 can be seen racing through the streets of Rockport in the latest Need for Speed World trailer. Dibs on the Porsche.

The online F2P racer recently celebrated its first birthday with a new game mode and custom Porsche.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/19/need-for-speed-world-gamescom-trailer-shiny-things/feed/0Quick Shots: Need for Speed: World shows off Porsche 959 and Treasure Hunthttp://www.vg247.com/2011/07/28/quick-shots-need-for-speed-world-shows-off-porsche-959-and-tresaure-hunt/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/28/quick-shots-need-for-speed-world-shows-off-porsche-959-and-tresaure-hunt/#commentsThu, 28 Jul 2011 11:30:28 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=189893EA has released six new shots of its free-to-play online racer to show off Treasure Hunt mode – designed to help players earn in-game currency – and a Porsche 959 – designed to help players spend it. The update comes as NFS: World celebrates its one-year anniversary.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/28/quick-shots-need-for-speed-world-shows-off-porsche-959-and-tresaure-hunt/feed/0Need for Speed World blows past 5 million usershttp://www.vg247.com/2011/06/01/need-for-speed-world-blows-past-5-million-users/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/01/need-for-speed-world-blows-past-5-million-users/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 13:47:38 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=174966EA has announced that Need for Speed World, its Play4Free online PC racers, now has over five million registered users.

In a celebration of sorts, the firm has announced that from today until June 4, players can test drive a new, free rental-car in game which is none other than the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro. The car was just unveiled at the annual Worthersee tour in Austria.

The Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro six-speed contains a five-cylinder unit displacing 2.5 liters with turbocharging and direct fuel injection, with an output of 503 hp and 486.79 lb-ft of torque.

It weighs 3,064 pounds and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h takes just 10.9 seconds, while the car goes from 80 to 120 km/h in fourth gear in just 2.4 seconds – with the top speed reaching 250 km/h.

Should definitely help you out run the coppers in-game.

Check out shots of it below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/01/need-for-speed-world-blows-past-5-million-users/feed/1NFS World adds Team Escape in new updatehttp://www.vg247.com/2011/03/29/nfs-world-adds-team-escape-in-new-update/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/03/29/nfs-world-adds-team-escape-in-new-update/#commentsTue, 29 Mar 2011 15:07:39 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=159464EA’s released a new update for Need for Speed World, which sees the inclusion of new mode Team Escape. The addition sees the cops been given new ways to stop you and your crew, with team pursuit runs now extended up to eight minutes. You’ll get something too in the form of new team abilities: Team Emergency Evade and Team Slingshot. Full details on the update are at the NFSW website.

We may have wound down for Christmas and New Year, but the news motored on, dropping a winceworthy headline for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and plenty more.

Deus Ex gets delayed into FY2012 by Square

Square announced in its recent batch of financials that it’s delayed Deus Ex: Human Revolution into fiscal year 2012. It was originally scheduled for a early 2011 release.

Square Enix’s next financial year begins on April 1, 2011.

The reason for the delay is due to “weak sales performance of console game titles that have been newly released during the current fiscal year as well as harsh market feedback regarding a key title.

“We therefore have decided to spend additional time to further polish our upcoming game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, resulting in a shift in release timing from our prior plan of the current fiscal year to next fiscal year.”

Rockstar released a new video of LA Noire, showing off the game’s mo-cap technology, MotionCap.

The 40s-inspired Team Bondi title uses the tech to bring out realism and facial detail as never before seen in a game.

Get the video below.

Respawn’s West admits not playing Black Ops

With things getting increasingly heated just before Christmas in the countersuit between Activision and ex-Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West, perhaps the fact that West’s failed to even look at Black Ops shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

West, who went on to found Respawn Entertainment with Zampella following the pair’s layoff at IW last March, told 1UP at the VGAs that he hasn’t touched the shooter.

“I haven’t actually played it,” he said.

As for what Respawn is currently making, West admitted some early concept stuff is already up and running, but said the project is still far out.

“We got some things cooking now, and I saw some awesome stuff last week,” he said.

“I think announcements are going to be a ways off.”

Watch the interview below.

Drs Ray and Greg added to AIAS Hall of Fame

BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will be inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame when DICE takes place next month, its organisers have confirmed.

It’s the first time a pair have been added into the Hall of Fame, and the honour comes in a year that will be BioWare’s biggest ever, thanks to 2011 releases of Dragon Age II, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect 3.

Muzyka and Zeschuk will also speak at an AIAS talk at DICE.

“Driving BioWare’s success past, present and future are the amazing family of people we have been privileged to work with over the years and our shared core values of quality in our workplace, quality in our products, and entrepreneurship in a context of humility and integrity,” said Muzyka.

“We’d also like to thank our wives and the families of our employees for their continuous support over the years, which together with the hard work of our great teams continually enables BioWare’s success,” added Zeschuk.

The pair’s awards will be given by Epic president Mike Capps.

Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy dated for March 3 in Japan, new trailer released

The Conduit 2 will release on February 15, developer High Voltage Software told IGN.

We’ll get onto Sega about a UK and European date.

Dragon Age II video shows off combat styles

BioWare’s released a new video of Dragon Age II on PC, featuring the game’s two combat stances.

You can either go for the action-RPG approach DAII’s been heading towards, or you can take the tactical route, where you can pause and give out orders.

Video’s below, via Big Download. Dragon Age II releases on March 8 in the US and March 11 in the UK for PS3, 360 and PC.

Demon’s Souls’ online servers to remain live until October

Atlus has confirmed it’s to keep live the online servers for RPG Demon’s Souls until at least October this year.

It had previously said it would keep the servers open until March at the earliest.

“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. We will support the online servers for Demon’s Souls as long as we possibly can, and we’ll be as transparent about the entire process as possible, hence us constantly updating folks as to what to expect,” said Aram Jabbari of the publisher.

Crysis 2 trailer shows off Nanosuit

EA released a new trailer of Crysis 2, featuring what’s possible in the game with the revamped Nanosuit.

“We’re still working hard on Max, and we’ll have more news in the coming months,” a Rockstar rep told Kotaku.

Bulletstorm dev diary has a lot of [duck]ing swearing, has profanity filter

EA released the first dev diary for Bulletstorm, featuring producer Tanya Jessen and lead writer Rick Remender talking about the People Can Fly shooter and its story.

It also features the term “dicktits”. That is why you will watch it below. Thanks, Evil Avatar.

PCF producer Adrian Chmielarz has also confirmed the game will have a profanity filter to block out any swearing, although specifically how it would work was not mentioned. The filter works for both subtitles and voice-acting.

inFamous comic will bridge gap between inFamous 1 and 2

Sony, Sucker Punch and DC Comics are to release a six-part series of comics based on inFamous.

The comics will bridge the gap between inFamous 1 and the upcoming inFamous 2, explaining how main character Cole moved from Empire City to New Marais.

The series will be written by William Harms, with illustration done by Eric Nguyen.

It’s the third Tales game that’ll appear on PS3 following ports of Vesperia from 360 and Graces from Wii, but the first to be developed for the console from the go.

As far as producer Hideo Baba is taking it, Xillia is a new era for the RPG series.

“Our goal here is to pool all the know-how we’ve built over the past 15 years and show off a new frontier in the Tales series,” he told Famitsu (via 1UP).

“That’s all there is to it. You might see that even now in the graphics, which are meant to be a contrast in light and shadow. Tales of Vesperia was always meant to have anime-like graphics, so everything’s incredibly bright and colorful.”

Baba continued: “With Xillia, on the other hand, we’re deliberately placing light sources to play up the size of a room and the feeling that the characters are really there.”

For the first time in the Tales series, there will be two main characters, a male named Jude and a female called Mira.

Other details: the game’s world is called Liese Maxia, its battle system is known as the Double Raid Linear Motion Battle System – or DR-LMBS for short – and its viewpoint is behind the back and over the head. Exciting.

No date yet.

Activision has made “horrific mistakes,” says Riccitiello

EA CEO John Riccitiello has told IG that Activision has made some “horrific mistakes”.

“No, I don’t actually feel sorry for the other guys,” he said. “I think they’re making some really horrific mistakes.

“Without being too directly negative about a particular competitor, I would say that what often happens is a scenario where you’ve lost your customer, so you lean on your employee to do evermore impossible things which generates profitability for two or three years where you sort of live off past success.”

While Activision may be the lot under scrutiny, EA was once seen as the “Evil Empire”. But Riccitiello explained how it got that monkey off its back.

“Three years ago, we were not making any money and we’d lost the support of our shareholders, and we had lost the support of our gamer, and our attrition was at an all time high.

Team Meat’s confirmed it had canceled the WiiWare version of Super Meat Boy, with Team Meat leader Edmund McMillen telling Joystiq it would have been “a piece of shit version”.

“We knew of the limits early on but overestimated our ability to get Nintendo to raise the file size,” said McMillen. “It’s lame that there is a 40MB cap on WiiWare games… but it was our fault for blindly assuming this cap wasn’t set in stone.

“We are sorry for that.”

He went on to add that Team Meat had talked to three publishers about a retail version for Wii, but ended up passing on it.

“Right now we have talked to three larger publishers who have passed on the title because they believe Wii retail is a bad idea profit wise. Most places we have talked to believe that only Nintendo brand games sell well on their system and don’t even understand why we want to release Wii retail.”

FFXIII 360 bombs in Japan

According to Media Create numbers, the Japanese 360 release of Final Fantasy XIII sold 22,579 units.

Media Create doesn’t release sales numbers for games that sell under 20,000, according to Siliconera.

FFXIII 360 in Japan was the international version of the game with English VOs, as well as epilogue episode and a new easy mode.

EA’s announced Need for Speed World has reached 1 million users since its launch back in July.

It also confirmed it would be including “new features and game-expanding content including more cars, deep performance customization, a new world region and a co-op pursuit mode” into the MMO.

EA also announced, as of today, that all players will have full access to the game for free.

“Need for Speed fans have played a critical role in making Need for Speed World a success. Fan feedback has helped shape every aspect of the experience – whether it’s the creation of a new feature or improving polish and progression,” said senior producer, John Doyle.

“We’re excited to open the gates so that every Need for Speed World player now has free access to all current and future content including new modes, cars, features and more.”

EA has announced the next round of Need for Speed World Beta testing for Monday, June 28 through Wednesday, June 30.

The Beta includes performance customization packs for every car, Private Matches, 50 levels of progression, new vehicles, a Meeting Place for car shows, the world region Camden, and the usual tweaks and bug fixes.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2010/06/25/next-beta-phase-for-nfs-world-goes-live-june-28/feed/2Need for Speed World goes live in Julyhttp://www.vg247.com/2010/05/27/need-for-speed-world-goes-live-in-july/
http://www.vg247.com/2010/05/27/need-for-speed-world-goes-live-in-july/#commentsThu, 27 May 2010 16:01:05 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=97489

EA has announced that Need for Speed World will go live on July 20.

The client itself is a free download through here, and you can play for free until level 10.

Players who pre-order Need for Speed World will have a one-week headstart to the game on July 13, with increased Rep, and access to all upcoming Beta events.

Driver names can also be reserved in advance, and early adopters will also get VIP status permanently displayed in their driver profile, along with a Speedhunters Toyota Corolla AE86.

Developed by Black Box, the game promises “deep, RPG-like progression”, and of course, loads of racing.

You can get loads more information through the links there, including the latest trailer for it.

EA has announced that the English language Beta testing for Need for Speed World begins today.

According to producer John Doyle, Beta events will run over the next several months with more invites going out should you have missed this round.

“We’ll be running a number of beta events over the next several months, all aimed at testing one or more aspects of the experience,” he wrote on the official site. “If you didn’t get into this round, don’t worry, there will be more stages and many, many more invites in the weeks and months ahead.

“As the beta program progresses you’ll see more content, ways to play and places to see”.

NFS fans can also design a Porsche 959 for inclusion in the game, and the one picked will get credit.

It was revealed at an event for the game in NYC, that NFSW have 12-man races, 250 square kilometer maps, and servers able to accommodate up to 10 million players.

Game’s out this summer as a PC-exclusive.

Here’s the press release as well:

EA Launches Beta for Need for Speed World
Need for Speed World is the First Massively Multiplayer Online Action Racing Game

VANCOUVER, BC, Mar 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that the closed beta for Need for Speed(TM) World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game has begun. Over the course of the next few months, thousands of players worldwide will have the opportunity to claim one of the limited slots in the PC beta test by enlisting at world.needforspeed.com. Need for Speed World testers will be the first in the world to get an insider’s look at this hotly anticipated racing MMO, and their constructive feedback will go straight back to the development team to help add polish, finesse and tuning to the final product.

“Need for Speed World is the world’s first MMO racer – a completely new entertainment experience for speed junkies all over the world,” said John Doyle, Need for Speed World Senior Producer. “We have expanded Need for Speed’s classic adrenaline fueled racing with an all-new power up system and deep RPG style progression to create a truly massive, socially-connected white-knuckle Need for Speed experience.”

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience. For the first time in a racing game, players will be able to compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world. Need for Speed World takes the well known and popular cities from Need for Speed Most Wanted and Need for Speed Carbon to create the biggest, most exciting race world ever released in the Need for Speed universe.

Need for Speed World will be available this summer on the PC. More information and details on the beta test can be found at world.needforspeed.com or follow us on Twitter at NeedforSpeed. Press can download assets at http://info.ea.com.

Marc De Vellis, the producer for Need for Speed World Online, has said that the PC-exclusive racing MMO will have “the biggest Need for Speed arena ever”.

Speaking at am event for the game in New York City, according to D’toid, the game is mix between new arenas and familiar cities from the franchise’s greatest hits such as: Palmont from Carbon and Rockport from Most Wanted.

The regions are also connected as “one entity”, allowing you race to and from each end without loading screens – pretty much like all MMOs – allowing for tens of thousands of player to drive around in each area at once.

De Vellis told the site that EA Black Box and EA Singapore, plan to continually expand the game post-launch, adding fan-favorite locations from some of the franchise’s fourteen titles.

The game will also have 12-man races running a 250 square kilometer map, which sounds a bit like a larger raid group in your typical MMO, and servers can accommodate up to 10 million players.

Kind of like PvP, players can accept the challenge of other players at checkpoints with up to eight people racing and experiencing the play laps. Players will also get to repeat the experiences in the race.

At the end of each race, like a typical quest, players can get in-game items and money, skills, and will also gain experience to level-up in order to purchase more powerful weapons and vehicles.

The game is due this summer, and the first shot of the game appeared on the official site earlier in the month.